Costeño Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, let’s talk about what’s shaking on the coast over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, this forecast is a bit of a slow burner. We’ve got a run of onshore, chop-ridden days to start, with the swell energy doing some interesting things in the background. The whole period is focused on Costeño Beach, a consistent beginner-friendly spot that’s exposed to the NE.

For the first week, honestly, it’s looking pretty average. From Thursday the 13th all the way through the weekend, we’re stuck with cross-onshore winds—ENE or E mostly—and a mix of small wind ripples and choppy conditions. The swell ticks up from 4ft on Thursday to 8ft by Saturday at 9 seconds, but the wind is just messing it up. The energy goes from 189 (weak) up to 1032 (strong) on Friday afternoon, but the conditions are marginal or poor. Not the kind of surf you paddle out for.

Then things get interesting. Monday morning, the 17th of August, we finally get a break. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the north at only 3 mph. The swell drops a little to 4ft from the NE at 8 seconds, energy is 228 (moderate), but the faces will be clean. It’s not a bomb, but for a beginner-friendly beach break, that’s a real nice window for a morning session. That’s the true standout of the first week.

Tuesday the 18th stays glassy on both the morning and afternoon, but the swell is small—4ft to 4ft—and the wave energy is in the 170-194 range (moderate). Ordinary conditions, but rideable. Not a day to get excited about, but you could get wet.

After that, the middle of the week from Wednesday the 19th through Sunday the 23rd is a mixed bag of light cross-onshore and onshore winds, with the swell hanging around 4ft to 5ft, mostly short period at 7 to 8 seconds. The energy stays in the 176-324 range (moderate). There’s a brief window on Sunday afternoon the 23rd when the wind goes glassy and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions,” with 5ft waves at 7 seconds, but it’s a short-lived clean-up.

Now, for the second week, the swell starts building again. Monday the 24th afternoon shows glassy conditions with 6ft at 7 seconds, energy 301 (moderate). That’s a solid afternoon if you can dodge the storm risk. But the real standout of the whole 16-day run is Wednesday the 26th of August. The afternoon turns glassy, with the swell jumping to a clean 8ft from the NE at 9 seconds, and the wave energy hits a beefy 1121 (strong). That’s the kind of size that’s only for experienced surfers, but for the experts out there, that’s a session to mark on the calendar. The morning of the 27th holds at 7ft with light cross-onshore, and Friday the 28th morning goes completely calm with 7ft at 8 seconds and 625 energy, looking very good.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there at Costeño Beach. Crowds can show up sometimes, but with this being a consistent beginner spot, it’s about managing the lineup.

So if you’re looking for the best bet, hit Monday the 17th morning for a clean, small session, or if you’ve got the skills, lock in Wednesday the 26th afternoon for the biggest, cleanest swell of the run.

Rusty.

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